The Arkansaw traveler., 1887-07-30
From the Sanskrt: Trdnslated for The Ark dnSdW Trdreier, by Ralph L. Goodrich.
 KATHA SARIT SAGARA.

Then the Rala of NatSa remained at Lavanaka for the repose of his army and secretly said to Yaugandharayana, Through your wisdom all the kings of the world have been conquered by me, and they being made my own by stratagem will not injure me. But the king of Benares, Brahmadatta is a malicious person, and I know he alone will injure me, for what confidence can be reposed in the dishonest?" Thus being addressed by the lord of Vatsa, Yaugandharayana replied, 70 Raja, Brahmadatta will never more injure you, for when he was overcome and surrendered, he was treated with great respect by you, for what sensible per- son would commit shameful deed against one who is pure in his actions? Whoever, indeed, does so, misfortune will fall upon him. Thereupon listen to the story which I shall tell you:
 "There was long ago in the country of Padma certain great and renowned Brahman, named Agnidatta, who en- ioyed grant of land donated by the king. The elder of his sons born to him was named Somadatta, the second was called Vaisvanaradatta. The first of them was fool, beautiful in per- son but wicked the other was wise, we'll behaved and devoted to study. After they were married, and their father being dead, they distributed his royal grant of lands equally be- tween them. The younger was hon. ored by the Mjah, but the elder, Soma data, was unpublished and tiller of the soil. Once upon time certain Brahman who was friend of Soma datta's father, seeing him ill company with Sudras, thus said to him: Be ing the son of Agnidatta, you fool, your manner of life is like the Sudras, and seeing your younger brother hon. ored by the Raja you are not ashamed. Having heard that the incensed Soma datta rushed upon the Brahman, and forgetting what is due a teacher, kicked him soundly. Then the Brah- man becoming angry on account of being kicked, immediately made some other Brahmans witnesses of the act, and went and laid the matter before the Raja.
 "The Raja, for his part, sent out sol- diers to take Somadatta, and they hav- ing gone out were slain by his friends who had armed themselves. Then the king, being blinded by anger, sent out a greater force in order to arrest Soma data, and commanded that he should be impaled. And then the Brahman, when being placed upon the impaling stake, suddenly fell down upon the ground as if he had been thrown down by some one. The fates always guard the prosperous, and hence the execu- tioners became blind as soon as they began to impale him. The Raja at that moment hearing the matter, was pleased, and statement being made by the younger brother, he released him from execution.
 '.Then Somadatta, saved from death, wished to go into foreign country with his family, on account of the Raja's disrespect to him, and when his assembled relatives were not willing for him to go, he abandoned the hali of the land donated by the Raja and gave it up entirely.
 There being no other means of SUD- port, lie desired to practice agriculture, and went into the woods on a pleasant day to look at piece of ground suit able for the purpose, and there he se- cured pleasant piece of ground, suit able, fruitful, and advantageous, and in the middle of it he saw 8 very large Asvattha tree, and having con- sidered it like the rainy season, cool on account of its dense and friendly shade and warding of the rays of the sun, he took possession of it fer agri- culture, greatly pleased. 'Whoevei presides over this tree am devoted to him. Thus he spoke and going around the Asvattha tree to the right he bowed humbly to it. Then having yoked g couple of bulls he composed prayer and made an oblation to the tree, and commenced his blowing. He re- mained day and night under that tree and his wife always brought him hi food. After a time when the grain was ripe, his farm was fearlessly plum dered by the people from another kingdom, who came there by chnnce Then the foreign army having gone and his crop being destroyed, the vir. tuous man consoled his weeping wife and gave her what was remaining and making an offering, he remained as before under the tree, for this is thu nature of the reeomte, because theil firmness is superior to diversity Then one night while standing alons